Cleaning Cupboards

Yesterday morning when my husband opened the cupboard to get the sugar out for his coffee as usually something fell out. This cupboard has been in need of a cleaning for close to a year now, maybe even over the year. So I figured with this the season to be baking more than usual this was as good a time as any to clean the cupboard. Being in the cleaning mode decided the oven needed cleaning so set it to clean and walked away. As I started to clean out the cupboard I found things that needed to be thrown away years ago...found an empty box and set to cleaning and throwing.

You see back in June after my dad passed away and we cleaned out his cupboards I gave my son many things but there was still stuff that he didn't have a need for at this time so I added it to my cupboards. I found I had 2 bottles of Cayenne Pepper and an unopened bag of the stuff. That seems like a lot of Cayenne pepper...so seeing that one of the bottles must have been 10 years old that hit the garbage box first then the second bottle followed right behind as it must have been close to the same age.

As I preceded to clean out the cupboard I found things that I bought I don't know how many years ago. I found more tea than what I know what to do with.... I should not be allowed to buy any more tea until at least half of what I have is gone. I have Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Spice, Earl Grey, Chi Tea, Lemon Zinger and the list goes on and on.

Back in the spring when I started my Life Style Change I picked up some tea from the health food store called Body Sense. Well I remember opening the tea and I was sure I had put it in the cupboard but couldn't find it anywhere. Then I figured that my dog Rocco had made off with the box and stashed it under my bed like he did with so many things. Lifted the mattress and box spring of the bed frame no tea there either, I had pretty much given up on ever finding this tea. It was like it had disappeared into thing air. Well it was more like slipping into the dark corners of the cupboard...there is sat waiting to be found and that I did when I cleaned out the cupboard. So 2 hours later my cupboards were done, the stove had cleaned itself all that was left was to wipe it out - which my hubby did as he was cooking supper and a box of garbage went out to the burning barrel.

Now I have a more accurate list of supplies needed for my Christmas baking.

It's Begining......

........To Look A Lot Like Christmas. Well around the office it is. Today a co-worker and I decided it was time to decorate the office for the holiday season. We dug out the boxes of decorations, the packing tape, scissors and tacks. We started buy hanging a some beaded garland around our workstation dividers then put window clings on the glass, set up the little Christmas tree. We hung snowflakes from the ceiling. We didn't have a chimney to hang out stockings by so we picked over the photocopier instead, it can get a little heated at times. A couple of hours later our office space looks so very festive.

After we done decorating we sat back and like how it all looked and started to talk about our office Christmas Lunch and gift exchange.

My girl friend gives me a call today, telling me that her husband built me the Cadillac of tree strands. I am so thrilled as now I can up a real tree and never worry about it going dry on me. Today turned out to be a Christmas type day today.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

If you have ever tried the Lofthouse Sugar Cookies available in most Grocery Store Bakery depts you will like this recipe. I found myself becoming addicted to the Lofthouse Sugar Cookies and thought there must be a recipe out there somewhere that is close to these cookies, well I think I found the next best thing. This recipe quickly become a family favorite in my house.

I thought I would share my sugar cookie recipe just in case your wanting to try something new.
Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

1 Cup Butter
2 Cups Granulated sugar
3 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 1/3 Cups Sour Cream
5 - 6 Cups of flour (until consistency for rolling) I used 6 cups

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and sour cream.
Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Roll out dough to 1/4 - 3/8 inch thickness using a generous amount of flour. Cut out into shapes and bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Frost and decorate as desired

Sugar Cookie Frosting (just like Wilton's Decorator Icing)

4 Cups Confectioners Sugar
1/2 Cup Crisco Shortening
5 Tbsp Milk
1 Tsp Vanilla
food coloring optional

In large bowl, cream together the confectioners sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring as desired.

hit: to make black icing that doesn't have the awefull taste to it, mix in some coco...you get black icing that tastes like chocolate.

Darkness!

This morning as I was leaving for work at 6:55am I realized that is was extremely dark outside....almost an eerie type of darkness. Usually when I walk out the door in the morning I can see my way to the garage but not so this morning. So I looked up expecting to see it was overcast but no there were stars all over the sky but no moon. Absolutely no sign of the moon what so ever...I don't recall a morning like this in a long time where there were stars but no sign of the moon...it was like it has almost fallen from the sky.

I don't know how the people in the Arctic can live with out daylight during the winter months when they have to live in nearly complete darkness 24 hrs a day. I would go crazy if we didn't have the precious amount of day light we get in the winter.

Even on my 20 minute drive with my headlights on low beam it seamed darker than usual...that might have to do with there was little traffic this morning compared to other mornings. It was such an eerie feeling that I thought maybe I had left home earlier than usual. Looked over at my clock expecting to see a much earlier time than it the 7:07 am it was at the time.

Now I wait!

Yesterday I had a job interview with the Ministry of Highways & Transportation for the position as Area Office Coordinator. My interview was scheduled for 3pm, I was asked to arrive 15 minutes early which I did...was given some questions to review and provide answers for my own reference during the interview. So I answered the questions and waited and waited until 4:20pm for my interview to start.

I actually think I did okay in the interview...my nerves calmed right down long before I was called into the boardroom. I am glad as I hate being nervous when I have to answer questions. I don't think I answered anything wrong....I hope I told them what they wanted to hear. Today is their last day of interviews and I will know within 2 - 4 weeks either way if I have the job or not.

My hours of work would 7am - 4pm which is fine with me.....like that I would be home an hour earlier than I am now and starting work at 7am is not a problem for me.

When I know if I got the job or not I will let you know.

Blog Candy - Nov 26

Head on over to Kristine's site for a chance to win some awesome blog candy. Kristine is celebrating her 1 year blogaversary and to celebrate she is giving away 2 pieces of blog candy. http://kristineskort.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-blogoversary-blog-candy.html This offer is over on Nov 26, 6PM(CET+1) so you only have 2 days left to leave a comment on her blog and post about it on your blog for a chance to win.

Kristine is a very talented and has some inspiring ideas on her blog.

Tid Bits

On Friday my husband took my car in to get the tire fixed. As it turns out the tire that was on there was shot....unfixable as was the spare tire. So a few hours later and a new tire I am good to go again.

Saturday was a day of baking. If you have ever tried the Lofthouse Sugar Cookies found in the bakery of your local grocery store you will know these are not like most sugar cookies out there. They are soft and it is the icing that makes them sweet. I myself really like them...border line addicted to them. So I searched on Google to see if I could find a copy cat recipe for them....jackpot I did find not only one recipe but several. For the most part they are all the same except for one recipe that uses Pilsbury Vanilla Cake Mix. All the recipes call for leaving the cookie dough overnight, so this morning will determine if these recipes are close to the cookies you buy in the store or not. Tasting the unbaked cookie dough I do think they are going to be very close to the store boughten ones.

With Christmas just over the month away it is time for making cabbage rolls and perogies in my house...not this is the only time of the year I make them...but I HAVE to have them for Christmas or I might as well leave the house. A couple of weeks back I made a big batch of cabbage rolls enough for Christmas and then some. A week ago I made a batch of perogie dough stuck in the fridge (the dough rolls better in my past roller when cool). Well as it turned out I was so tired this past week that I was in bed earlier than usual and the perogie dough sat. So yesterday after making up my potato, cheese & onion filling I made up 6 of them for my daughter and I to try before making up the entire batch of dough. We were the guinee pigs to determine if the dough was still good or not. Verdict came back that the dough was fine and they tasted very yummy! So finished up making that batch of perogies. Still have to make some saurkraut ones for my hubby, a batch of potato cheddar & onion ones for my son and some more for us.

Christmas card making is coming along very slowly, I have made 3 or 4 cards so far. I have a few more supplies to make some cards so will be making a few more cards. I hope to be able to post a couple of pictures of the cards I create but not until I am ready to show the entire world. I have found some really good inpsiring ideas on th different crafting blogs that I visit. Next year I will be ready with everything I need to make most of my cards. I picked up another new craft punch last night - Martha Stewart's Christmas Tree. Nice thing is that it doesn't only have to be used at Christmas as it is just your everyday Spruce Tree. Yes I am very glad I picked up this punch, I nearly put it back....so many ideas of for using it now that I have it. I am very disappointed in the selection of scrapbooking/stamping supplies here in Prince Albert. I have found some really good suppliers on line that I think I will be shopping with as well as whenever I go to Saskatoon or Regina I will have to hit Michael's and some of the other scrapbooking/stamping stores.

Saved By a Flat Tire

Last night I left work to pick up my daughter then head to the grad meeting. Well I didn't make it to pick up my daughter or to the grad meeting. I had a flat tire on the way to get my daughter...limped into the closest gas station so I would have lots of light to change the tire, well so my son could change the tire. Called Michael and he came to his mother's rescue. When we pulled the spare out of the trunk found it was also flat but would hold air at least to get me home. So plans to attend the meeting changed.....I guess this flat tire was a way of preventing me to volunteer to head-up one the committees at least that is how I am looking at it. So in a way that flat tire was my saviour. I know there will be many more grad meetings and I do plan to attend....

So this morning I go out to the car and there it is flat....my spare has a slow leak. Even pumping it up this morning it would have been flat by the time I was done work. So I took the hubby's truck to work and he will take my car in to get the tire fixed. The men in my life are such wonderful guys.

New SpringWidget

Graduation is Coming!

Here it is November 20, 2008 and before I know it will be June 19, 2009 - Meagan's Graduation. Tonight is the first of probably many grad meetings. Tonight we sign up for the committees and if we are brave or in some cases stupid enough to volunteer to head up the committee tonight is the night. I am going there with the determination to not sign up to head anything but volunteer my time and that is all. Don't need the head ache of being the chair of some committee and dealing with the drama of this parent doesn't like this or that and so on....

Saturday Meagan and I are going to go looking at Graduation Dresses. I am going with camera in hand to take some photos of her dress choices so that her dad can see them as well as so she can do some process of elimination as well and hopefully come to a decision. I am sure this trip will be one of a few before she makes a final decision on a dress.

Not only is there the dress, the shoes and accessories to think about..there is the hair, the make-up, the nails...there is photos and supper to decide on. I want to get the photos booked as soon as possible so then it is done with...but which photographer to choose. Will do a bit of shopping around for this one...then there is the grad parties to think about and plan.

We'll have a grad party for Meagan at our house for the family & close friends most likely the week before grad. Meagan isn't sure if she is going to have a party with her friends at our place or not on the grad weekend...that we have lots of time to worry about...the lowest things on the pole right now.

Not only is there graduation to think about and plan there is the decisions of what she wants to do after she completes high school. Will she work for a year before deciding to extend her education or will she go on to extend her education in the fall and if so what will she apply for. Decisions, decisions....glad I don't have to make them all....but will advise her best I can.

My little girl is growing up, faster than I would like sometimes......

Snowflakes & Winter

This morning I awoke to a light snow fall that started sometime last night. Ever so lightly the snow flakes dance their way to the ground. The dusting of snow on the trees looks so pretty. I love the colors of Autumn but feel so abandoned by Mother Nature when the trees are bare of all their leaves...only a skeleton remaining to face the elements. Once winter arrives so many of the snowflakes find a new home on these bare branches covering them in a white velvety blanket to give them some shelter from the elements of winter.

If do like winter, just hate the really cold temperatures that we get with those fluffy little flakes we call snow. I look forward to days of making snowmen (they are one of my favorite things about winter), taking walks on a moon light night on the crisp snow (when its not too cold outside) or going snowmobiling over fresh fallen powder. I would like to try my hand at cross country skiing this winter.

I do believe that winter has arrived for the long stay now....prior to this we had snow but not a whole lot a bit more than a skiff but not a true ground covering.

Surprises

My daughter Brittany surprised me this afternoon when she called me. Asked if I would pick up the fixings for Taco's and Meagan would bring it home after school and they will make supper so it is ready for when I get home after work. What a nice surprise.

So on the menu is Soft & Hard shell Tacos, our home version of Taco Time's Mexi Fries Deluxe and tostito chips. I am hungry just typing my blog.....can't wait for 5pm to arrive now. 1 hr and 15 minutes to go....well I should get back to work, my coffee break is over now.

HiHo HiHo it's back to work I go, HiHo HiHo HiHo

Oh! I can't forget to mention it is Mickey Mouse's 80th Birthday today. 80 years ago today Mickey Mouse made his debut on the big screen in Steam Boat Willie.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY MOUSE!

Laughter The Best Medicine

Last night my husband and along with 4 of our friends took in the Ron James - Mental As Anything Show. If you don't know who Ron James is, he is a stand up comedian from the Maritimes. We laughed for 1.5 hrs straight....I laughed so hard that I was light headed. We had awesome seats second row from the front right in the middle. The last time we seen him we up in the balcony. I highly recommend his show to anyone that hasn't seen it. Having seen Ron perform 2 years ago he is still just as funny with very little repeats. We have watched him many times on the Comedy network and Comedy Now on TV but in person is soooooo much better.

Sometimes a good bought of laughter is all someone needs to light their mood/spirits. Laughter has an amazing effect on a person. For being tired for 3 days in a row this was what I needed.

Laughter is sometimes the best medicine around!

Rotary Craft Show

Saturday my friend and I took in the Rotary Craft Show at the Prince Albert Exhibition Centre. There many different exhibits with crafts, candles, knitting to quilting and painting. There were people with their home business products such as Discover Toys, Watkins & Princess House Canada.

We spent the better part of 2 - 2 1/2 hours at the show. So many things to see and taste too. Even the SPCA had a display with a couple of their kittens waiting to be adopted to loving homes.

If only I had an unlimited budget where I could have spent what I really would have liked the things I could have purchased. I did pick up some face templates for my paper doll templates for scrapbooking...what a deal on those $1.00/sheet regular $9.99/sheet. There was one display of applique quilted wall hangings. Oh these were beautiful and the prices were really good. I got some really nice ideas for appliqueing if I ever find the time to try it out. So many nice pieces at this booth that it would be very hard to decide which to buy.

I did go with a budget in mind and I did stick to it even though I was tempted to purchase this purse from one booth. This lady does the home purse parties. I had heard of these but didn't know who in town did them....now I know. I have her card and will look at booking a party after Christmas sometime in the new year.

I picked up a couple of beautiful hand painted ornaments for the Christmas Tree.

My whole reasoning to attend the Rotary Craft Show was to pick up stamping supplies from a friend of mine who was there trying to liquidate her stock as she has closed her stamping business down to pursue other dreams. She was selling everything off at 50% off. Picked up a few more Christmas stamps, inks and embossing powders. I picked up a really good idea as well when it comes to remember which stamps, ink colors and embossing powders that I have. Stamp each stamp onto a sheet and put into a duo-tang that I can take with me when going looking for stamps. Also stamp the image and emboss it with the different colors making a note of which color is which and add this to the duo-tang as well. I also picked up some chalk coloring pencils to color in my stamped images. Now I have a few more options for my handmade Christmas Cards. This year I will try a few of them and hopefully next year I will be able to make enough for everyone on my card list.

So Tired

I am not sure why but the last two days I could fall asleep in a moment. I am sure if I closed my eyes I would be sound a sleep. I have been going to bed early each night and seemed to have slept the entire night. I am guess that I haven't slept very soundly.

It is 10:17 am and I feel like I could go back to sleep for at least another 8 hrs.

I just hope this isn't a sign that I am coming down with something. I get my flue shot on Tuesday and I can't afford to come down with anything before then.

Maybe it is my inner devil trying to get me to eat a bunch of junk food for those short term pick me ups!

Either way I am glad that tomorrow is Saturday and I can sleep in. Maybe that is all I need is a day to sleep in.

Winter Has Arrived

Old Man Winter has arrived here in Prince Albert yesterday. Yesterday morning it started to snow and didn't stop until it left about 1 inch of the fluffy white stuff. Prior to yesterday we only had a skiff of the stuff.

Time to dig out the toques, mittens, scarves, boots and snow suits. Soon there will be families of snowmen taking residence up in our yards. The kids will be digging out their tobogganing and waiting for enough snow to head out to the hill for a fun day of sliding.

Time to set up my back yard bird feeder. This will be the first year that I have one set up. I read an article in a magazine about attracting birds to your back yard, types of food that is best for them, types of feeders etc. I am hoping to be able to get some awesome photographs this winter of birds feeding at the feeders.

My son is thrilled that it snowed as now it will be much easier to track the deer this hunting season. He and a couple of his friends are heading out this weekend for in search of a trophy buck. Michael will be home for a week in which he hopes to fulfill his dream of getting a nice size deer.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae
(1872 - 1918)

"In May, 1915, on the day following the death of fellow soldier Lt Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, John McCrae wrote his now famous work, an expression of his anguish over the loss of his friend and a reflection of his surroundings – wild Poppies growing amid simple wooden crosses marking makeshift graves. These 15 lines, written in 20 minutes, captured an exact description of the sights and sounds of the area around him.

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae left Ypres with these memorable few lines scrawled on a scrap of paper. His words were a poem which started, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow…” Little did he know then that these 15 lines would become enshrined in the innermost thoughts and hearts of all soldiers who hear them. Through his words, the scarlet Poppy quickly became the symbol for soldiers who died in battle.

The poem was first published on 8 December 1915 in England, appearing in “Punch” magazine."- Quoted from http://www.legion.ca/Poppy/campaign_e.cfm

A poem that so many of grew up knowing....not necessarily understanding the true meaning of it until we grew up.

The armistice to end the First World War takes effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. This year marks the 90th Anniversary to the end of WW I. Like so many others I too had family that fought in WW I. Our family was one of the lucky ones whose loved ones returned home. My Great Uncle Clarence fought in both WW I and WW II, he returned home both times.

The Canada Remembers Program endeavours to keep alive the achievements and sacrifices made by those who served Canada in times of war and peace; to engage communities in remembrance of these achievements and sacrifices; and, to promote an understanding of their significance in Canadian life as we know it today.

Each year in November, Poppies blossom on the lapels and collars of over half of the entire Canadian population. Since 1921, the Poppy has stood as a symbol of Remembrance, our visual pledge to never forget all those Canadians who have fallen in war and military operations. The Poppy also stands internationally as a “symbol of collective reminiscence”, as other countries have also adopted its image to honour those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

This significance of the Poppy can be traced to international origins.

The association of the Poppy to those who had been killed in war has existed since the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, over 110 years before being adopted in Canada. There exists a record from that time of how thickly Poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in the area of Flanders, France. This early connection between the Poppy and battlefield deaths described how fields that were barren before the battles exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.

Just prior to the First World War, few Poppies grew in Flanders. During the tremendous bombardments of that war, the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing “popaver rhoes” to thrive. When the war ended, the lime was quickly absorbed and the Poppy began to disappear again.

The person who was responsible more than any other for the adoption of the Poppy as a symbol of Remembrance in Canada and the Commonwealth was Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War.

So to all the men and women both past and present who have given so much so that we as Canadians can enjoy freedom and democracy - Thank You!

God Bless you all!

Credits:
Thank you to Leanne a friend of mine from Fabulous Canadian Freebies for the use of Lest We Forget graphic used here. You have an amazing talent with graphics, thank you for allowing me to use this one of yours.

General Remembrance Resources - an awesome resource to learn more about Remembrance Day.

Canada Remembers - Veterans Affairs Canada

Royal Canadian Legion - The Poppy Campaign

Quick Update

This morning I decided to make some changes to my blog's appearance. So please be patient with me in my efforts...you may see some funky colors as I go along. With being on dial-up it will take me a bit longer than if I had high speed.....there are time when the pages just won't load until after many many tries.

I will try my best to keep up blogging as well.

So watch for developments of the upcoming changes to Corinne's Place!

Have a wonderful day! Off to town to pick out paint for the girls bedrooms and start the move from our room upstairs to downstairs.

Blog Candy

For those that don't know what Blog Candy is...it is something new for me as well. I actually learned about it today as I was reading a crafting blog. Blog Candy is a contest that you can enter by leaving a comment and answering a random question as well as providing a link on your blog to their Blog Candy. They usually offer these Blog Candy contests once they receive so many hits to their website.

Here is what Suzanne is offering for her Blog Candy.

Suzanne over at Scrap Bitz has some blog candy being offered for reaching over 50,000 hits to her site. So follow the link below over to Scrap Bitz for your chance to win the awesome Blog Candy.

http://scrapbitz.blogspot.com/2008/11/biggest-blog-candy-evah.html

While your there don't forget to take a look around her site, some awesome ideas.

Good Luck to everyone that enters!

Crafting and Blogs

Last night I tried my hand an making handmade Christmas Cards. Using the bit of supplies that I had the 3 that I made turned out pretty good. I have started making a list of things that I need for making my Christmas Cards. I think I am going to be come totally addicted to card making as I am to everything else I try for the most part.

So in my quest to create handmade cards for Christmas this year I started googling Christmas Cards, Verses, etc. I found lots of Blogs that have to do with Crafts....especially Handmade Cards. My hubby sees what I am doing and just shakes his head. I'm sure thinking not another craft! You see I dabble in many different areas from scrapbooking to stained glass to quilting and many more. Speaking of which I have to get the thumbs knitted on to the mitts I am making for my daughter.

There are so many ideas out there for making cards and scrapbook layouts. The blogs I have found is amazing and the ideas they share are awesome. There area few craft blogs that I will be following. I hope as I get a few cards done that I will post a picture here for you all to see.

So with my list in my purse I shall be watching the Dollar Stores, WalMart and Adams for sales and supplies. After Christmas is when I will find some good sales but the question is will there be much left.

Some of you on my Christmas Card List may receive a handmade card, all depends on how many I get done. My goal is to do a few this year and next year I hope that all my cards will be handmade.

Until tomorrow have a wonderful Sunday and happy crafting!

Little Rants & Raves

I go away for 2 days and come home to a house that was a disaster...more than it was when I left. I am sure my girls think they are made of sugar...if they were to put their hands in dish water I am certain they think they would dissolve..there wasn't a clean glass to be found in the house......so last night after 3 1/2 sink fulls I finished all the dishes. I will be glad when we start remodeling our kitchen....I will have my dishwasher installed. For now it takes up a spot in my porch waiting to be put to good use. I guess I have lived this long with out a dishwasher I should be able to wait a bit longer. Plan is to have it in sometime in the spring. On the other had they had cleaned up the living room.

While I was in Regina I made stop over at Michael's Craft Store.....I picked up some new stamps & a couple of punches as I am going to try my hand at making some handmade Christmas Cards this year. I am so excited to try making the cards....still need to pick up a couple of things here but for the most part I am ready to start. If all goes well, I may take this project on for next year...will watch for sales after Christmas to pick up some supplies that I will need. I am very excited to try my hand at making cards....I enjoy scraping so I think I will also like this. I need to set up a space downstairs where I can have my scrapbooking set up at all times so that I can leave everything out instead of having to unpack and pack everything back up each time I want to work on something.

Well that is my little rant and rave for today!

Re-Connecting

Reconnecting with family is always a good thing. Recently I experienced the joy of reconnecting with family that we haven't spoke to in nearly 13 years. My husband's nephew and his wife. It wasn't that we haven't thought about them or anything like that...lives change and sometimes you loose contact without meaning too. My niece was the one that mentioned to me that she was wanting to make contact with her cousins that she hasn't seen in as many years and thought she might have found them on facebook but wasn't sure. So I checked into it and sure enough there they were. Immediately added them as friends to my face book as was thrilled when my they responded. My other niece and I have been messaging back and forth catching up on each other's lives.

It is wonderful to be able to make this connection. My husband and I are saying it would be so nice to go visit them at their house or have them down to our place for a visit and catch up. For now until we can visit each other we will continue to chat through facebook and over the phone.

My daughters are thrilled to find that they have cousins in their age group. They hope to be able to meet them one day soon. The last time they would have seen each other they were all little toddlers and don't really remember anything about spending time together.

Family is precious and should never be taken for granted as one day you may find they are gone for one reason or another.